Main Points:
- Creation of the state-of-the-art eco-city called Dongtan on China's Chongming Island was supposed to be built.
- The island remains to be unbuilt
- It was originally slated for completion in 2010 but has not proceeded construction in 2009.
- It is one of the numerous planned eco-cities that have fizzled due to the cost.
- If eco-cities were successful, the effect on overall energy use and emissions would be minimal, because the vast majority of urbanites would still live in existing cities.
- All the reasons suggest that we cannot rely on new construction to address challenges of feeding, housing and transporting urban population in ecologically sound ways.
- The solution to the problem needs to take the future into account
- Cities today are greener than suburbs
- Urbanites use less energy and emit less CO per household than suburban counterparts because they live in closer quarters and use public transportation.
- Cities need to be sustainable.
- Metropolises will not be able to sustain themselves if left to operate on a business as usual basis.
- Demand for resources will oustrip supply as number of people inhabiting cities swells from more than three billion to more than six billion by 2050.
- New cities could have sustainability built in their infrastructure from the start.
- Larger payoffs would come from retrofitting existing cities for sustainability.
- Working with existing cities can be less costly than rebuilding cities from scratch. It could save enormous amounts of energy and water.
- To meet these objectives, people could take good ideas from planned eco-cities that succeed as incubators for innovation.
- Simple changes can go a long way toward helping cities support us in the future.
- A key priority for cities adapting to a world transformed by global warming is increasing energy efficiency.
- A major focus is equipping old buildings with energy-efficient features.
- Existing cities can benefit from installing transportation systems meant for eco-cities.
- Instead of spewing 1.7 billion metric tons of CO2 a year, the electric car proposed for Fujisawa City would produce no tailpipe emissions.
- Simple changes like converting buses to run on compressed natural gas can clean up the air and improve efficiency.
- Cities must not only conserve energy and limit emissions, but also diversify their energy supply.
- Ensuring that sustainable supply of freshwater continues to flow in urban populations is another daunting task facing the international community.
- Large swathes of the world are pushing limits of water availability.
- To help cities conserve, C40( a planning group for 59 major cities engaged in efforts to combat climate change) developed a list of best practices based on case studies of strategies.
- Austin, TX offers a number of incentives to curb water use, including rebates for installing rainwater harvesting systems.
- Water also needs to be clean.
Author Points:
The author is trying to inform us and try to explain about making improvements to the way we live in urban areas/cities can keep life sustainable on Earth. Cities right now cannot be sustainable if we continue our business-as-usual basis. For some of these ideas, people have looked to planned Eco-cities for their inspiration. Some ideas for energy are improving transportation. Instead of spewing out 1.7 billion tons of CO2 into the atmosphere, we should look towards the electric car, proposed for Fujisawa City. Other changes like converting buses to run on compressed natural gas can clean up the air and improve efficiency. The problem for water is that some cities are pushing the limits of it's availability. 1/3 of city dwellers live in the slums, which lack access to safe drinking water and sanitation.
The author is trying to inform us and try to explain about making improvements to the way we live in urban areas/cities can keep life sustainable on Earth. Cities right now cannot be sustainable if we continue our business-as-usual basis. For some of these ideas, people have looked to planned Eco-cities for their inspiration. Some ideas for energy are improving transportation. Instead of spewing out 1.7 billion tons of CO2 into the atmosphere, we should look towards the electric car, proposed for Fujisawa City. Other changes like converting buses to run on compressed natural gas can clean up the air and improve efficiency. The problem for water is that some cities are pushing the limits of it's availability. 1/3 of city dwellers live in the slums, which lack access to safe drinking water and sanitation.
My thoughts:
Through my thoughts after reading this article reating to the ECO friendly cities out of the cities already built are great ideas. I don't understand why we are not already making these changes when we already know so much of what to do. Right now we are deciding on whether or not to make a bullet train that goes from San Diego to San Francisco. I think this is a great idea because it will help people go from city to city in a quick and fast and inexpensive way. My moms friend works in San Francisco and her family lives here. Every two weeks, she drives all the way down here to see her family. I think she is someone that would benefit from this new train. Even though it might be a little bit expensive for it to be built, it will be worth it in the future. I think we need to work on more water policies and better ways to dispose of our waste.
Through my thoughts after reading this article reating to the ECO friendly cities out of the cities already built are great ideas. I don't understand why we are not already making these changes when we already know so much of what to do. Right now we are deciding on whether or not to make a bullet train that goes from San Diego to San Francisco. I think this is a great idea because it will help people go from city to city in a quick and fast and inexpensive way. My moms friend works in San Francisco and her family lives here. Every two weeks, she drives all the way down here to see her family. I think she is someone that would benefit from this new train. Even though it might be a little bit expensive for it to be built, it will be worth it in the future. I think we need to work on more water policies and better ways to dispose of our waste.
So What?
Somehow we have to have a ECO friendly city.
Says Who?
The author of the "How Green Is My Cities"
What if?
What if we created these eco friendly cities?
Many people is up to eco friendly cities around the world? Do you think it will decrease the pollution in Earth?
What does this remind you of?
Ecological Footprint
Somehow we have to have a ECO friendly city.
Says Who?
The author of the "How Green Is My Cities"
What if?
What if we created these eco friendly cities?
Many people is up to eco friendly cities around the world? Do you think it will decrease the pollution in Earth?
What does this remind you of?
Ecological Footprint